Did You Want Age of Empires: Castle Siege On Windows 8 Devices?

Microsoft is reviving Age of Empires, which shuttered its online version just last month. Still, it may not be everyone’s favorite resurrection, as this bag of bones will return as Age of Empires: Castle Siege on Windows 8 devices.

Ok, it’s a strategy title with touch-based devices and mobile gaming in mind, but there is a silver lining if you’re really not into that sort of thing. Age of Empires: Castle Siege works on a Windows 8 PC as well and even uses cross-platform functionality to connect to its mobile brethren.

It doesn’t look like a half-bad attempt at first sight either. There’s resource gathering involved, the building of a home camp with multiple structure types, setting up defensive walls and the training of troops for both defense and offense. Sure, Dungeon Keeper on mobile technically did a similar thing, but fingers crossed no one uses that as a design example.

There are six factions in Age of Empires: Castle Siege. You’ll be able to recruit from the Britons, Byzantines, Franks, Kievan Rus, Saracens and the Teutonic Order.

Moreover, each faction comes with a few special heroes that can be deployed to your ranks, which even includes historic figures like Richard the Lionheart or Charlemagne. Also, the game holds 10 historic battles that can be reenacted, such as the Fall of Constantinople that put a final end to the Roman empire and many people see as the end of the Middle Ages.

Does Age of Empires: Castle Siege have in-app purchases? Yes, it does, to “accelerate gameplay.”

Please don’t repeat Dungeon Keeper. If the reception of the Youtube trailer is any indication, people share that thought.